Skilled Trades Glossary
Plain-language definitions for 30 terms every tradesperson and career changer should know — from apprenticeship and journeyman to prevailing wage and Trade Pay Score.
Specific Trades
Electrician
A tradesperson who installs, maintains, and repairs electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures in residential, commercial, and industrial settings.
Plumber
A tradesperson who installs, repairs, and maintains piping systems for water, gas, drainage, and sewage in buildings and infrastructure.
HVAC Technician
A tradesperson who installs, services, and repairs heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems.
Welder
A tradesperson who joins metal parts by applying heat, pressure, or both, using processes such as MIG, TIG, stick, and flux-core welding.
Carpenter
A tradesperson who constructs, installs, and repairs structures and fixtures made from wood, plywood, engineered lumber, and other materials.
Ironworker
A tradesperson who erects structural steel frameworks, reinforcing bars, and ornamental iron for buildings, bridges, and other structures.
Heavy Equipment Operator
A tradesperson who operates bulldozers, excavators, cranes, loaders, and other large machinery used in construction and earthmoving.
Lineman
A tradesperson who installs, maintains, and repairs electrical power lines, telecommunications cables, and related infrastructure on utility poles and towers.
Elevator Mechanic
A tradesperson who installs, maintains, repairs, and modernizes elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and other vertical transportation systems.
Industrial Maintenance Technician
A multi-skilled tradesperson who maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs machinery, equipment, and systems in manufacturing and industrial facilities.
Education & Training
Apprenticeship
A structured earn-while-you-learn training program that combines on-the-job work with classroom instruction under the guidance of a journeyman.
Trade School
A post-secondary educational institution focused on teaching specific vocational skills for a particular trade or occupation.
Vocational Training
Education and instruction that prepares individuals for a specific trade or craft, emphasizing practical skills over academic theory.
Wages & Compensation
Prevailing Wage (Construction)
The hourly wage, benefits, and overtime rate that must be paid on federally funded or state-funded construction projects, set by surveying local wage data.
Davis-Bacon Act
A 1931 federal law requiring contractors on federally funded construction projects worth over $2,000 to pay locally prevailing wages and benefits.
Per Diem
A daily allowance paid to tradespeople who travel away from their home area for work, covering lodging, meals, and incidental expenses.
Overtime in Trades
Hours worked beyond 40 per week (or 8 per day in some states), typically paid at 1.5x to 2x the standard hourly rate for trade workers.
Trade Pay Score
A proprietary composite rating (0-100, graded A through F) that evaluates how well a trade pays relative to cost of living, growth, and demand.
Cost-of-Living-Adjusted Pay
A salary figure recalculated to reflect local purchasing power by factoring in the cost of housing, food, transportation, and other essentials.
Wage Growth
The percentage increase in median pay for a trade over a specified period, typically measured over five years using BLS data.
Licensing & Certifications
Occupational Licensing
A government requirement that workers in certain trades obtain a license by meeting education, experience, and examination standards before they can legally practice.
Continuing Education
Ongoing training and coursework required for licensed tradespeople to maintain their credentials and stay current with code updates and new technologies.
OSHA 10/30
Occupational Safety and Health Administration training programs that teach workplace safety in 10-hour or 30-hour formats, widely required in construction trades.
Safety Certification
Credentials demonstrating competency in workplace safety standards, including OSHA cards, first aid/CPR, and trade-specific safety training.
Workplace & Labor
Union Membership
Belonging to a labor union that collectively bargains wages, benefits, and working conditions on behalf of its members in the trades.
Project Labor Agreement
A pre-hire collective bargaining agreement between a project owner and building trade unions that sets wages, benefits, and work rules for a specific construction project.
Career & Advancement
Skilled Trade
A manual occupation requiring specialized training, apprenticeship, or vocational education rather than a four-year college degree.
Journeyman
A qualified tradesperson who has completed an apprenticeship and holds the credentials to work independently without supervision.
Master Tradesperson
The highest credential level in a trade, requiring additional years of experience and an advanced licensing exam beyond journeyman status.
Job Demand
The level of employer need for workers in a specific trade, measured by employment levels, job openings, and projected growth from BLS data.